Snakes are arguably the most feared animal on the planet. They are thought to be bad omens, symbols of temptation, and chaos. Perhaps one of the most common examples is the biblical story of the Garden of Eden. In this story, the snake tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, Eve goes through with it and she and Adam are kicked out the Garden of Eden. In Egyptian mythology, the god Apophis was the god of chaos. His most common form was one of a serpent. Their lack of legs as well as their common symbolism as something “bad” tends to lead to people being extremely scared of them. Personally, I was a little apprehensive to holding an actual snake. It is one thing to see one in an enclosure or a cage and have a sheet of glass or wire between you. But there is an entirely different element when the animal is actually in your hands. Another layer is added when you know the snake’s name and its background. The snake I was holding was named Shortstop and was a corn snake. Knowing this information made the snake more like a pet, which eased my fear about actually holding it.